Morphine

GregAge: 50’sLocation: North CarolinaAddiction: Morphine, Internet scamsWhat’s memorable: What an awesome and respectable southern family man he was before the addiction took hold, so in love with his home and his wife and kids. How shockingly gullible he is with the internet scams, to the point of bankrupting his family. $600,000 and counting! I really had no idea ANYONE ever fell for advance-fee scams, but he is fully invested in that craziness. He seriously believes he’s going to get that money. It’s people like Greg that keep those Prince of Nigeria emails coming into my inbox. The conversation with “Mr. Washington” trying to get Greg’s pin number is just brutal to listen to. “It’s hard to believe that all of them are liars.” Yeah, it is, but they are. #Capitalism. I don’t think Greg would be believing any of their crap if he wasn’t on morphine.

Official Synopsis: Greg once owned a thriving business and was a devoted husband and father. But after a back injury left him disabled, he lost his business, started gambling, and became dependent on pain medication. He also became obsessed with Internet sweepstakes scams, and he has bankrupted his family in a relentless pursuit of big winnings. Having lost everything, Greg’s family just wants their proud father back.

Season 2, Episode 20LaurieAge: 31Location: East TexasAddiction: Pain meds, Anxiety medsWhat’s Memorable: “If I take enough medication I don’t have to feel the sense that I’m a really bad mother.” The extent to which Laurie gets obliterated on pills is actually painful to watch. I hope to goodness she was able to get it together since the intervention because she did not have a lot of time left.

Update: Laurie Moses-Roeseler passed away on on July 1, 2015. I do not know what the cause of death was. Obituary

Official synopsis: At one time, Laurie was a psychotherapist and mother of three. But then an addiction to pain killers and alcohol led to the loss of her job and her family, and now only an intervention can stop her from losing her life.

AlysonAge: 27Location: Can’t tellAddicted to: Morphine, crack, marijuanaWhat is most memorable about this episode: Alyson stealing morphine from her dying father from a safe in his bedroom as he sleeps.

Official synopsis: Alyson was a White House intern and an award-winning student. She met a boy in college who showed her the world of drugs and she became an addict. Alyson now lives at home with her parents and is a heavy user of morphine and crack. She works hard to alienate herself from the people who love her. Alyson also takes painkillers from her dying father.Original Air Date: March 2005